Here’s a rough draft of a cultural criticism essay assignment for one of my writing classes. No one talks about what Sammy Davis Jr. contributed to Jewish culture. Nor do they talk about what the newly converted Isla Fisher, star of the “Confessions of a Shopaholic” film and baby mama to Sacha Baron Cohen, is… Continue reading Rough Draft: Beyond Sammy
Todays’s Jewish Treats on grandparents got me thinking about mine. Mis abuelos, my grandparents, never had a chance to spoil me. Because of a family schism, I didn’t see my father’s mother before she died. And I have only one faded, threadbare memory of her. I thought it was a recurring dream but my mother… Continue reading The Book of Our Heritage: Mis Abuelos and Abuelas
An article on a Hispanic blog called “Hispanic Trending” written by Juan Tornoe claims that parents are now focusing on making their kids multilingual. In “A bilingual future: More parents are sending their kids to language classes” , Lourdes Rovira claimed, ”The key is the home. It depends on how much respect, how much value… Continue reading In SAP, please.
I just got back from getting the medical excuse form for jury duty. The problem is now getting my doctor to fill it out properly. This falls on my general physician. The only doctor I barely trust. When I moved to Riverdale, I stopped visiting my dazzlingly gorgeous rheumatologist in Gramercy Park. After many, many… Continue reading What’s up, Doc?
I was really nervous about spending a week with my in-laws in Italy. They’re great but we operate on alternative universes. My in-laws are fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants whereas I am plan, plan and plan some more. How was I going to relinquish control enough to do things their way without totally losing my marbles from the chaos… Continue reading World Traveler
Delonas, the cartoonist, said to CNN, “It’s absolutely friggin ridiculous. Do you really think I’m saying Obama should be shot? I didn’t see that in the cartoon. The chimpanzee was a major story in the Post. Every paper in New York, except The New York Times, covered the chimpanzee story. It’s just ridiculous. It’s about… Continue reading Racism: Less than Subtle
Who would have thought I would ever see the world? The first time I stepped out of the tristate area was to get married in a place I’d never been to before, Connecticut. Okay, actually, I had also been to Orlando, Florida to see Mickey with my aunt and even Pennsylvania to visit the Liberty… Continue reading Italy Trip Recap: The World in My Stomach
I recently finished “The Modern Jewish Girl’s Guide to Guilt.” I was interested in reading it for many reasons. I wanted to read about Judaism through the eyes of people who don’t live in the Orthodox world I live in. I wanted to understand Judaism through the eyes of secular Jews. I also wanted to… Continue reading Jewish Guilt is Heavy
Having a job where I have no face-to-face human contact means that I tend to over-share when I do. So it’s no surprise that when I went to the allergist today, I quickly started chatting it up with the secretaries. That’s how I roll. “I’m going to be on TV on a Latino show!” I… Continue reading You have to choose!
A Jewish friend of mine is calling a cab to get home to Washington Heights. I ask her if she’s going to call a Dominican taxi service. I smile and say I only let Dominicans drive me. She just looks at me. (My Dad was a former taxi driver.) Another Jewish friend says, “I think… Continue reading Speaking English
Memoirs of a Jewminicana 